A LOVING father-of-two, who was killed in a horror smash that split his car in half, was driving home to tend to his young daughter, an inquest heard.

Phil Padmore, who had been drinking at a house in Poole with close friends, was over the legal drink-drive limit when he lost control of his Honda Civic and ploughed into a lamppost, the hearing was told.

Last November’s accident happened just over a week after his 25th birthday.

Couple Rachel Shear and Gary Burney, who were both passengers in his car, survived but suffered serious injuries.

However, due to the trauma they suffered, they are still unable to recall much of what happened that night.

At the Bournemouth inquest into the Canford Heath man’s death yesterday, Mr Burney said: “I just have flashbacks of the police helicopter above us afterwards.

“I remember the car going out of control and I remember the impact, but that is it.”

Mr Burney, who broke his wrist, paralysed a vocal chord, smashed his ribs and punctured a lung, insisted Mr Padmore was usually an “excellent driver”. Ms Shear suffered serious breaks to her arms and legs, but was said to be recovering well.

Crash investigators said Mr Padmore’s car, later found to have been in good condition, spun and ploughed into the lamppost with such force it split the post and the car in two along a straight section of the Dorset Way at 11pm on November 14.

They were unable to say whether Mr Padmore was exceeding the 70mph limit.

The inquest heard that Mr Padmore’s two-year-old daughter Hollie, who was staying at the family home in Canford Heath, had woken up and wanted her dad. Mr Padmore’s father Wilfred, a specialist maternity nurse at Poole Hospital, had texted Mr Padmore and he was on his way home when the crash happened. He leaves another young child, Joshua.

A verdict of accidental death was recorded.